My thoughts on conversion and religion

There are a few people who sent me some links and articles on religious issues and they mentioned it is the biggest problem that India is facing these days. I know religion is one of the many problems that our country faces, particularly because India is a ‘spiritual‘ country (I believe it’s time that we call India as a ‘religious‘ country than a spiritual one). These fellow readers of my blog have been mostly worried about Christian conversion happening in India. So I thought I would write my views on religion, conversion and related issues here. Read full before you comment here.

I believe in God. My idea of God is Jesus Christ.

Why do I believe in God? There are various reasons. Aethists say it is primarily because man lost confidence in himself and relies on God for anything and everything. Perhaps it is true. I lack self-confidence in many cases and I leave it to God most of the times. I am afraid of doing things without God. I have never tried it. To this date everything in my life happened for good. Many things happened in the right time and in the most needed time. Some call it luck and some say luck is an act of God and I believe in that as of now.

Why do I believe in Jesus Christ?

Because Christianity is the religion I practiced from the childhood. What Christ taught me was to love one another and love even your enemies. I couldn’t do the latter though, I think it is something a person can do only when he/she reaches the highest level of spirituality. It is a state where one goes beyond the limitations of everything worldly, including religion. I am no where close to that spiritual level. But I found that the teachings of Christ is enough to live a good life and be a good man. I didn’t find a need to follow another religious faith.

Conversion

Let me come to the conversion issue. As a Christian, I think the church should concentrate more on making the Christians live in the ‘Christian’ way than adding more numbers. The church is supposed to stand for the poor and it fails to do so at most of the times. Church is after those who have more money. The rich need not fear the Church. Church fears/obeys the rich most of the times. Church ‘rules‘ only the poor. The rich is excused. As a Christian who was very close to the church being in the Church choir, I have seen this. So it is this thing that the Church needs to work on. So I would say do that first. Save the souls that you thought you had saved, but actually lost. Come out of the obsession of power if you want to preach real Christianity. So as a Christian, I think the conversion is something to put in the least priority in a Christian life.

A friend of mine, who is a movie person, went to a remote tribal area in Tripura for shooting a tele-serial. The producer of this serial is a priest. My friend asked him if there are conversions happening and he answered yes. It was a quick and easy “Yes” as if he was asked “Did you brush your teeth today“. He gives Rs. 10 to each person in that tribal village who attends the Holy Mass every Sunday. My friend found out that the natives go to the church, gets their 10 bucks and comes back home and worship their own tribal gods. It is as simple as that. There is no cultural wipe-off. The father knows it, the natives know it. They just do it to have 10 bucks. They don’t have any problem with it. I would say, this in no way threatening Hinduism. This is actually making Christians fools of themselves. Selling Christianity for 10 bucks or so. Adding numbers like a political party. It is a shame on Christianity and Christians.

But if a Hindu believing in Christian miracles want to turn to Christianity, it is his/her personal choice. If a Christian believing in Hindu Godmen/Godwomen miracles (like of Sai Baba, Amrutanandamayi etc) want to shift to Hinduism, its their personal choice as well. Take thousands of western followers of Amritanandamayi, Sai Baba, ISCKON as an example. I know they are not converted as in the Christian conversion model (like dipping in a pond etc), but it is also conversion. But I do not understand when a Hindu being converted to Christianity is considered as a cultural threat, but a Christian turns to Hinduism is called enlightenment by the right-wing Hindutva brigade.

As a citizen of this country, I believe religion and conversion is a personal choice and no one has the right to block it, UNLESS it is a forced conversion. If a person want to convert to another religion, it is at his will and it is his right to do so.

Conversion and Hindutva Brigade

So who has a problem with conversion? The Hindutva right-wing brigade mainly consisting of high-caste people. Although there are mass conversions of Dalits to Buddhism happening every year in India, the Hindutva brigade tend not to see it because it shows the caste based atrocities in Hinduism. From the early days to the recent Khairlanji incident, there are many examples to show. So they mostly concentrate on the Christian conversion issues.

The interesting thing is most of the tribal people who gets converted or goes to church (like in the case I mentioned above) are not even ‘Hindus‘. They do not practice Hinduism. They have their own tribal Gods. They do not worship Hindu Gods. So this hue and cry over conversion is based on the power. Like Church converts people to have more power, the Hindutva brigade is also after power. That is why they are afraid of losing control over the low-caste Hindus. This shameful fight for power was seen sometimes ago when we saw Uma Bharathi walking out of the meeting hall of fundamentalist Hindutva party BJP, accusing the leaders being discriminative.

Most of the Hindus in India are afraid that conversion is going to wipe-off Hinduism from this country and might make this a Christian majority country. This fear was put into the ordinary Hindus by the Hindutva vaadis consisting mostly high-caste Hindus. My opinion is, if a religion could survive for thousands of years in this world and that too mainly in one country, it will still survive if it has anything good in it.

Evangelists and Conversion

It is of equal importance to stop right-wing Hindu fundamentalism as well as right-wing Christian fundamentalism. If the concern of Hindutva brigade is over losing their hold in the society or gaining social and political power by misusing religious sentiments, my concern is about the national security. A few days back I read an article in Tehelka that discusses about the Evangelical network in India being used by CIA to gather information and their network is widespread. This is really a shocking news. It needs to be addressed and taken care of properly.

At times, I was also fed up with these guys lining up in the streets, praying in loud voice or telling me “You haven’t known Jesus Christ” is really sick. I cannot tolerate if such people ask my Hindu friends who live a normal life and believing in Krishna or Rama or any other Hindu Gods, that they are sinners and they will not be saved. What I believe is as long as a person lives a normal life and doing good deeds, he/she is saved/blessed by God. No matter what name that person calls the God. And these evangelists just make a hell lot of money out of this religion business too. It has become a very profitable business.

Aethism and aethists

I do not like people who pretend to be aethists and have no love or respect to the humankind but only themselves. Aethism, for them, is a fashion and a way to exhibit their ‘liberal‘ view. I don’t find much difference between those people and religious fundamentalists. But I do like and have a great respect towards aethists who are great humanitarians, who cares about humanity and do great services to the humanity. Hardcore religious people might call this stupidity, but I believe these kind of aethists are doing God’s work without the support of religion or God.

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14 Responses to “My thoughts on conversion and religion”

I enjoyed your post very much up until the second to last paragraph where you state that you can believe anything you want and go to heaven as long as you do good deeds.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

Christ clearly says that he has not come to merely be a peacemaker. He has come to bring righteousness and to offer salvation to the faithful. Jesus said:

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother — a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.” Luke 10:34-36

Christ is saying separate yourself from unbeliever. Take a stand for what you believe. Do not be wishy-washy. Man up.

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother — a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.” Luke 10:34-36

This is an often disputed verse from the Bible. One can interpret it in many ways. The Holy texts of all religions have such disputable verses. It is upto you to what to take and what not.

Here is one that contradicts from what you quoted above, from the very same Bible. “All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.”Matthew 26:52

Here are a few more verses that says Christ came to preach humanity, peace and love.

Blessed are the merciful” Matthew 5:7
Blessed are the peacemakers” Matthew 5:9

Mathew:
25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

How about the above mentioned? This is the Bible verse that supports the following thought I shared in this post:

But I do like and have a great respect towards aethists who are great humanitarians, who cares about humanity and do great services to the humanity. Hardcore religious people might call this stupidity, but I believe these kind of aethists are doing God’s work without the support of religion or God.

Hey Chrch should’nt allowed to get away with everything. If they have bribed conversiona as u mentioned above then actions should be taken to control it. And in er respects too they are becoming very arrogant, like some of the rules made in the local church here:

>> Cant get married in church if u cont study cathecism for more than 5 years.

>> Even if u shift your residence, u are still obliged to make contribution and attend mass there regularly.

>>The whole Q of holy communion for becoming a ‘ULL christian’.

Maybe the lathy charge that priest got(as was blogged here) and the Xtian college vs Govt saga that happened in kerala was an effort to control this growing arrogance. They problem with xtians is that they blindly follow the rules brought in my the church. There xtians should be dealt on the same lines as radical hindus, they are a treat to our national unity.

Good and well thought out write up. Only, please donot add the caste problem to the hindutwa right wing problem etc. We hindus already have the sceptre of caste over us wherever we go and today caste is everywhere starting from nursery school up to your retirement.

Hi, the reason that ‘conversion’ and ‘evangelism’ is so important to the christian faith is because it God’s desire that “none shall perish”. The word ‘gospel’ means ‘good news’. I myself am from australia and have a deep love and heart for the nation of India. When I first arrived in India, I became aware that a lot of people are held in bondage to the gods that they worship. there is fear and superstition. But when you come to them and tell that the God of gods, King of Kings and Lord of lords, loves them, laid down his life for them to give THEM life and set them free from fear and bondage, it really is good news!

This is why people genuinely give their lives to Jesus Christ, not just ‘convert’ to some religion.

Paying someone 10 bucks to come to church doesnt make anyone a christian any more than paying some one 10 bucks to go to McDonalds makes them a big mac!

Jesus loves India and came that India might have life and have it to the full!

I became aware that a lot of people are held in bondage to the gods that they worship

I think it is the same with everyone, in any religion. If you are not held in a bondage with Jesus, you would have already left worshipping him, right?

there is fear and superstition.

It is there in every religion. In the Old Testament, you can see an angry God, a destructive God. Likewise, Kaali or Shiva might be the destructive forms of God, but there are peaceful images of God in Hinduism as as well. But I like Jesus because he is the most down-to-earth and the humanitarian God I have seen.

In Bhagwad gita in 12th chapter (BHAKTI YOG)its been told by SUPREME POWER(YOGESWAR)that any person changes his/her religion after that any deed done by them they cannot attain siddhi, means they are there only (stand still),so whatever karmas or deeds you do its of no use and there’s no account for that even if you do good things for the people or for the world, or for the god, once if you changed the religion its an insult to god.And conversion is possible only bcoz of 3 reasons, lack of knowledge, or without money(poverty), or when u get married to other religion person(automatically u change ur religion)

But if a Hindu believing in Christian miracles want to turn to Christianity, it is his/her personal choice. If a Christian believing in Hindu Godmen/Godwomen miracles (like of Sai Baba, Amrutanandamayi etc) want to shift to Hinduism, its their personal choice as well.

That is an excellent point.

FACT: Both Islam and Christianity are organized religions and they spend millions to propagate their religions all over the world. On other hand, Hinduism is a CULTURE and Hindus do not even talk about Hinduism.

1. I agree, the major problem Hindus are facing is their own IGNORANCE OF HINDU SCRIPTURES, even though most Hindus follow Hinduism in their day to day lives.

2. As such most Hindus have no clue how to defend their culture. They do not know how to answer others without getting angry.

3. So most Hindus either ignore when ever they culture is attacked or answer back with a lot of venom. Both are equally wrong. Hindus should not ignore false information about Hinduism. Hindus also should not say or write anything with hate.

4. Hindus have to educate others with love and compassion. They should never stop any chance they get to eradicate false information about Hinduism that is being spread all over the globe.

3. Unluckily, Hinduism is defined by others who have no idea about Hinduism. All Hindus should act more or less like Hindu parents in California who peacefully fought a war to change false information about India and Hinduism in children’s’ books.

4 Nobody has monopoly on God or truth. God and truth are universal. Nobody can describe what God is! As such we have to and we should respect each other’s beliefs, since nobody can prove or disapprove any one’s belief.

Ignorance is the root cause of all evils and hatred. Knowledge eradicates ignorance.

So let us eradicate ignorance and that is the only way, we can educate people.

The best aspect of Hinduism is UTMOST FREEDOM OF THOUGHTS And ACTIONS. Even an atheist can proudly proclaim he or she is a Hindu.

In fact the CHARVAKA philosophy or NASTIKA philosophy, [existed during the Vedic period] founded by CHARVAKA rejected the existence of God and considered religion as an aberration.

Hinduism has quite a lot to offer to this world and it alone has the strange capacity to absorb ideas and concepts from all quarters and grow.

So, as a dead president said Hinduism has nothing to fear except fear itself.

What Religion is accepted by Allah?
The Religion before Allah is ISLAM..(Ali-Imran,3:19)
If anyone desires a religion other than ISLAM (submission to Allah), never will be accepted of Him; and in the hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost (all spiritual goods). (Ali-Imran,3:85)

Who taught the Al-Quran?
Most Gracious (Allah). It is He who taught the Quran (Ar-Rahman,55:1-2)